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Woodstock
In 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair drew more than 450,000 people to
a pasture in Sullivan county. For four days, this site became a
"countercultural mini-nation" in which drugs were all but legal, music was
plenty, and love was free. The music began Friday afternoon at 5:07 p.m.
August 15, and continued until mid-morning Monday August 18. The festival
closed the New York State Thruway and created one of the nation's worst
traffic jams. It also inspired a bunch of local and state laws to ensure
that nothing like it would ever happen again.
Woodstock was the idea of four young men: John Roberts, Joel Rosenman,
Artie Kornfeld and Michael Lang. The oldest of the four was 26. Their
original odea was to have it in Wallkill, New York, but the residents
objected so greatly, that the site was then taken to a farm about eight
miles outside of Bethel, N.Y. , population 3,900. There was objections
from this city as well, but a permit had already been purchased to have a
concert, so not much could be done about it.
Although the conditions were terrible, (Lack of food, sparse sanitation
facilities, drugs and alcohol, mud, to name a few) there were no violent
acts at the festival.
DRUGS
Drugs were a problem at the festival, nearly ninety percent of the people
there were smoking marijuana. There were no violence problems though.
Approximately one hundred percent of the 33 people arrested were charged
with drug-related charges.
FOOD
Food shortage was a problem since so many people showed up who the festival
organizers wree not prepared for. Only 60,000 people were expected to
attend, yet on the first day alone, 500,000 frankfurters and hamburgers
were consumed. Constant airlifts were being operated from the site and
outlying areas, bringing in a total of 1,300 pounds of canned food,
sandwiches, and fruit. In fact, the food problems were so great that the
Women's Group of the Jewish Community Center of Monticello and the Sisters
of the Convent of St. Thomas prepared and distributed 30,000 sandwiches for
the festival go-ers.
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